Why England has 200 countesses – and zero counts
by Melissa Mohr
May 22, 2023
2 minutes
King Charles III’s coronation brought renewed attention to the British monarchy and the peerage system in which it is enmeshed. Let’s continue the examination of aristocratic titles we began last week.
There are nearly 200 countesses in the United Kingdom, but no counts. There are was fine in French but was too similar to a vulgar one for the medieval English nobility. It seems more likely, though, that the English didn’t reject so much as hold on to the highest noble title before the Norman invasion of 1066.
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